Meditation on Psalm 23:4

September 10,2009

“Even though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you (oh God) are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.”


Funny thing about valley’s, they would not exist without hills. Grief for a loved one would not exist if at first you had not loved. And if there was not love to follow that grief, the valley of grief would only be a slippery slope into which you sink lower and lower.

But valleys do exits and the valley of death, which I interpret as grief does exist. In fact life is filled with valleys and hills. So grief is not just one valley you pass through, but can be repeated later and later. You may climb out of the deep overwhelming and exhausting initial valley of grief up a hill where life looks brighter, you are closer to the light, and you feel warmth again, only to repeat that experience with another valley.

Lest I make it sound like grief is an endless prison sentence for which there is no release or comfort, let me remind you that this verse also tell us to not fear evil because God, in His Spirit, His Word, and His People, is with you. You “never walk alone.” Isaiah 40:9 says: “He tends the flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart, he gently leads those that have young.”

Just as a human shepherd never leaves, protects, and cares for his sheep so the Good Shepherd cares for us. His rod is there to protect us from predators and the crook of his staff is used to help us up when we stumble and fall. The straight end of his staff is used to nudge us on when we are content to settle or so grieved we get bogged down in our own self pity.

I read recently when darkness over shadows us (those clouds of grief that roll in unrepentantly) that the Shepherd will protect us when we rest. Just as a shepherd puts his body in the doorway of a cave where the sheep are resting, protected from the elements. The Good Shepherd is in the doorway that protects us. Nothing touches us with out touching Him first.

In grief as in valleys, God is with us. Valleys are temporary places and would not exist without hills. God is our shepherd. He will not leave us in the valley. He will protect us, guide us, push us on, and comfort us. He is the Gentle Shepherd. He holds us close to His heart in his arms. He lays between us and predators when we need to rest. Nothing, not even grief, touches us without first touching Him. He knows what is best for each of us and He sees the path that we don’t see.

What I have Learned from Suffering

Written after reading a devotion in August 2009

There is a lot of suffering in this world. All I need to do is view the current news. Suffering enters my home, my safe haven, via the portals of radio, television, websites, newspapers, and phone calls. Suffering is all around me. If I look, really look, around as I drive to and from work, listen to my co-workers talk or better yet ask my co-workers about what is happening in their lives, I will hear of their suffering. If I listen to the prayer requests made in my various spiritual groups I will hear of suffering. Everyone is touched in some way to some degree with suffering.

I live in a broken world so and long as I am here I will see and experience suffering. My earthly life will never be perfect. Everyone experiences suffering even if one person cannot see the suffering of another. Suffering is relative and the degree cannot be judged by another. What is painful, all consuming, and devastating to one person may not affect another person in the same way. But, suffering brings growth or gripes it is our choice. God can transform the bruises of my suffering into beauty marks.

Suffering causes some people, including me, to seek God. God does not cause suffering, but He can use it to perfect me. I have discovered that suffering does not come alone, blessings come with suffering. Music, scripture, devotionals, books, and Christian brothers and sisters will step up to help. All of these are blessings that God uses to transform the bruises of suffering to beauty marks in my life.

God can transform bruises to beauty marks. Quite often when I am experiencing a season of suffering and feel bruised, praise music will play over and over in my head. I can’t explain it, other than it is the unique way the Holy Spirit applies balm to heal my pain. If I continue to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit, I will hear God speak to me in much of the music I recall. Hymns that I knew as a child will resurface, certain phrases from praise songs or choir anthems of the past will enter my mind again, and new songs I experience will seem to speak directly to me in my need.

God can transform bruises to beauty marks. The scriptures, God’s own love letter to me will become fresh and new again. The verses I have memorized will come to mind. I will read a familiar passage and a new insight will appear. The stories of Jesus will draw me in as a main character. I will know how the crippled man felt when he began to take his first tentative steps, the woman at the well learned about real love, and the demonic possessed man felt when his heart and mind were clear again.

God can transform bruises to beauty marks. My reading outside Bible will speak directly to me. Morning devotionals will have a tread that runs through them connecting my pain to the thoughts of Christian writers. I will learn how another deal with similar situations of suffering and draw strength from theses Christian strangers who are ministering to my soul.

God can transform bruises to beauty marks. The friends who represent the face of Jesus will give good advice, they will cry with me, hurt with me, laugh with me and hug me. The words they say will be insightful, sweet, humbling, and soothing. If I really listen to what they tell me about experiences they have had in suffering, I can learn and draw strength to get me through the next minute, hour, day, week or month. My friendships deepen when I allow someone else to help me in suffering. By not accepting the help they offer, I am stealing the joy they get from doing God’s will and His direction to them to help me. This was a hard lesson for me to learn – to accept help with graciousness. It makes me feel better accepting their help if I follow their help with a note of thankfulness and a prayer for special blessings for them.


God can transform bruises to beauty marks. Satan does not sit around and let all this happen without using my weakened state to damage my soul. The prince of darkness will try to use the suffering to turn me away from God. He will say things like:
“God’s not being fair to you. You try to do His will and he still let’s you suffer.”
“Look at all the time and energy you give to God and where is he when you need him?” “Look at ‘so-and-so’, he is not as good as you, but he is not suffering.”
“What you need is more money, more/better friends, a husband, etc.”
“God must not love you, look how he blesses others; I think he forgot about you.”
But, I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

God is good all the time – even when I suffer. When I let God take control I become almost a spectator in His marvelous plan for my life. God does not expect perfection; He expects progress.